Judge refuses guilty plea by former Springton Lake principal

PHILADELPHIA -- A federal judge temporarily nixed former Springton Lake Middle School principal Troy Czukoski's plan to plead guilty to possession of child pornography Thursday, saying he believed the defendant needed more time to consider his options.

Czukoski, 42, accompanied to court by his wife and defense attorney Joseph Green Jr., stood before U.S. District Court Judge Legrome D. Davis and stated his intent to plead guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

It was back in March when federal authorities charged the former educator after investigators found more than 150 pornographic images of minors on computer storage at his Exton home.

Investigators from the U.S. Postal Service executed a search warrant at Czukoski's home on Oct. 18, 2012, and seized two flash drives, CDs and DVDs, according to the information charging Czukoski. An examination of that material allegedly revealed more than 150, but less than 300, visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, the information states.

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"You intend to enter a guilty plea in this matter?" Davis asked.

"Yes your honor," replied Czukoski, who resigned his short-lived position as principal of the Springton Middle School shortly before the charge was filed.

Davis told Czukoski he doesn't automatically accept every guilty plea, stressing that it must be the defendant's choice. The judge added that he needed to be convinced that any defendant pleading guilty understood fully the magnitude of the plea.

"It is my choice to plead guilty in this matter," Czukoski said. "The government believes I was in possession of some videos."